Senior Leader Pawan Khajuria assess the loss due to recent heavy rainfall in Udhampur; Demand Comprehensive Relief Package

Udhampur 01 September : Senior leader Pawan Khajuria, along with a group of local representatives conducted an extensive tour of several panchayats in Udhampur that have been severely affected by the recent flash floods triggered by recent heavy rainfall . The group included DDC members Parikshit Singh and Amit Sharma, several Sarpanches such as Balwant , Babu Ram, Bishan Das, Raj Kumar, Manmohan Raina, Captain Arjun Singh, Yash Pal, Sansar Singh Jamwal, Krishan Singh, Subhash, and other senior leaders, who assessed the widespread devastation first-hand. Khajuria stated that the entire state, and particularly the Udhampur East assembly constituency, has suffered massive damage. Local residents across various areas have incurred significant losses, with their homes and shops devastated by floodwaters. He added that infrastructure and agricultural damage is catastrophic. Farmers have seen their Crops and houses damaged, and hundreds of kanals of fertile land have been washed away by raging rivers and nullahs. The remaining standing crops were ultimately destroyed by the relentless heavy rain.

The devastation was not confined to rural areas. In the low-lying regions, the torrential rain wreaked havoc, with nearly every house submerged under six to seven feet of water. This has rendered household items like beds, electronics, TVs, and refrigerators completely useless. Many displaced citizens are currently taking shelter in schools and other private institutions, relying on government aid or NGOs for their daily sustenance.

Khajuria emphasized that recovering from a tragedy of this magnitude will not be easy. While he acknowledged that the administration has provided help within its available resources, he declared it insufficient. “Many people are still suffering. Government representatives have not yet reached all the affected people,” he said, urging the administration to immediately dispatch officials to assess the damage and announce a substantial relief package for compensation.

The damage to public infrastructure is also severe, with numerous roads damaged and in urgent need of repair. Furthermore, while he commended the PDD department employees for working day and night to restore electricity, he pointed out that the damage to the grid is too extensive and the department is critically short of resources. He called for increasing manpower and providing necessary resources for swift restoration. Similarly, he urged the Jal Shakti Department to make a full effort to ensure water supply, noting that public frustration is growing as officials are citing a timeline of 10 days to a month for repairs due to pipelines and motors being washed away. A unique problem highlighted was the plight of people in hilly areas who depend on traditional water mills (Gharats) for grinding wheat. With the nullahs they were built on completely destroyed, restoring them is a major challenge. The group requested the administration to prioritize the restoration of these essential community assets. The worst-affected panchayats in the Udhampur East assembly segment include Pingar, Thanoa, Jaganu, Sataini, Sauntha, Krova, Barrerian, Battal, Balian, Badali, Garnai, Malad, Devibani, Thalora, Garh, Motu, Panjian, Babhe, Khoon, Sundla, Chadwa, Chani Mansar, Sein Brahmana, Majalta, Mand, and others.